Local Engagement Coordinators
Local Engagement Coordinators (LECs) are alumni of U.S. Department of State programs (i.e. TechWomen, Fulbright, IVLP, YALI, and more) that are excited to make a difference for girls in their country and support the next generation of global STEM leaders.
LECs assist U.S. Embassies with program outreach in their country during the recruitment period; assist families as they prepare their child for travel; translate pre-departure information as needed; mentor TechGirls through the follow-on project phase; and so much more!
If you're interested in learning more about the Local Engagement Coordinators, click their names below to read their bios!
South & Central Asia
Aigerim Kagarmanova is a FLEX program alumna 2009. She holds a masters degree in Eurasian studies from Nazarbayev University. In 2020, Aigerim and Lazzat Irgalieva created a project for teenage girls called “Brave Girls”supported by AEIF grant. Aigerim is interested in youth and women leadership, regularly participates in events and projects dedicated to these topics as speaker and mentor.
Kazakhstan
Jyldyz Kuvatova is serving as the Local Engagement Coordinator for Kyrgyzstan. Jyldyz is the 2006 Muskie Program alumna. She graduated from Missouri School of Journalism – Columbia with a master’s degree in strategic communication. She teaches at American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan and is passionate about women’s empowerment and political participation. Her track record includes leading the UN Women country program, the EU-funded investigative journalism project, and strategic communications management of UNDP country office. Jyldyz has been serving as a board member of a number of national NGOs, including Kloop Media Foundation, “Sezim” Crisis Center for Women, Development Policy Institute, and Food Security and Nutrition. She believes in education as a single most important factor in making the world a happy place for all.
Kyrgyzstan
Mahum is a technical consultant with three years of experience in ETL operations and service delivery. She holds a BE in Software Engineering from the National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan. She studied at Florida Gulf Coast University as a Global UGRAD Exchange scholar. She is a recipient of the Young Emerging Leader Award by the U.S. Embassy Islamabad, and Google Women Techmakers Scholarship by Google. She volunteers for civic innovation and STEM outreach initiatives.
Pakistan
Anzurat Kasimova graduated as Software Engineer from Technological University of Tajikistan. She is more than 15 years in IT field. She works in different roles - Data Base Manager, System Administrator, Lecturer at University, Consultant on developing an architecture of web systems. Currently she is an Instructor on Cybersecurity in SPCE UCA (School of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Central Asia) , Project Manager and Instructor in Public Organization Center ICT which educate people and raise awareness in the field of information and communication technologies through educational and consulting activities and Regional representative for USANT (U.S. Alumni Network in Tajikistan) which created to build a sustainable, alumni-driven network for exchange program participants across Tajikistan to share ideas and collaborate on programs impactful for their communities. Anzurat is passionate about engaging more girls to STEM, and runs Technovation Girls global contest as Regional Ambassador in Tajikistan. She believes that with constantly support girls and women could be successful in IT sphere. She enjoy spending time with family on nature.
Tajikistan
Dilnora Azimova is a development and communications professional with a background in engaging audiences on local issues of importance, enabling people at risk to make informed decisions, and achieving project goals. With over 15 years in both public and private sectors, Dilnora has experience in program management, risk communication, team building as well as publicity and outreach. Dilnora has managed projects implemented by Uzbekistan-based representatives offices of DAI Global LLC., the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and German International Cooperation (GIZ). Her portfolio of projects includes topics on computer and legal literacy, gender, disability, conflict prevention and resolution, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and rights, and empowerment of young adults, women, and vulnerable populations. With a background in journalism, Dilnora has published news articles for U.S. and Uzbekistan newspapers. Dilnora also has teaching experience at Uzbekistan State World Languages University’s International Journalism Department and Journalism and Mass Communications University of Uzbekistan. Dilnora holds a B.A. in mass communication from the University of Maine obtained in 2000 and an M.A. in healthand risk communication from Michigan State University received in 2020. Dilnora is a recipient of the Uzbekistan Presidential Scholarship and an alumna of several USG-funded fellowship programs.
Uzbekistan
Middle East & North Africa
Fares Bouloudani is a visionary Algerian leader, CSO Trainer, Youth Mentor. He is a social activist with over twelve (12) years’ experience in Civic Engagement, Leadership development, Sustainable Development, Youth Empowerment and Peacemaking, with active participations in numerous international programs in 10 countries. Currently, he works a Process Engineer in SONATRACH. He worked as a Grants Officer for 18 months with the American NGO "World Learning" in Algeria. He mentored 25 mentees in AYLP 2017 in Reno, NEVADA – USA, and trained 20 alumni as part of "Sharik AYLP 2020". In addition, Fares is the Founder of a youth-led organization “SYD” in Skikda province; the Sustainable Youth Development association, which activates in Sustainable Development and Youth Empowerment. He served as a President for three (03) years from 2018 to 2020. He is engaged as a Secretary General for the next three years (2021-2023). All in all, Fares has collaborated with national and international NGOs to empower thousands of young Algerians and he is committed to continue driving educational development programs based on foreign assistance in order to develop the youth leadership potential as well as their engagement in SDGs advocacy in order to become proactive global citizens.
Algeria
Sustainable Development and Women Empowerment enthusiast. M.Sc. in Sustainable Development, The American University in Cairo. B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, Alexandria University. Works as Environmental Engineer specialized in Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies, Renewable Energy, Water- Energy- Food -Nexus, Circular Economy, Green House Gases Reporting and Green industries. Volunteers as Environmental Campaigner for Kids and Youth, Empowering Girls and Women in STEM.
Egypt
Ramia Al Bakain holds a PhD in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry from Sorbonne Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Paris - France. She is working as a Professor at the University of Jordan- Amman. Her research focuses in the impact of using analytical chemistry for developing new green methods in water- agriculture-food security, green technique for water and wastewater treatment, and sustainable application in saving natural resources.
Jordan
Nisreen Deeb is a computer scientist and a Social Entrepreneur working as an executive director of the Lebanese League for Women in Business, an organization that empowers women to take the lead and succeed, and co-founder of many initiatives to empower the youth and the women in STEM. She holds 12+ years of experience in the IT industry through analyzing and implementing systems to automate their businesses, especially when managing the systems in the ITdepartment of the second largest container carrier and cruise company in the world: MSCLebanon. Consistently seeking new challenges, she is an IT consultant for many companies and organizations to help them follow the recent technologies and apply it in their businesses. Nisreen is involved in encouraging young women to appreciate STEM globally through the power of technology, and aspires to global reach through the power of technology; in 2013, she was noted as one of the top 5 TechWomen emerging leaders in Lebanon and spent five weeks in Silicon Valley. The TechWomen's experience allowed her to win the U.S. Department of State’s funding for her project, centered around programming education for 4th grade students. The opportunity that Nisreen had in Silicon Valley encouraged her to come back to her nation and provide an environment for Lebanese students and women to achieve their full potential, and hence Co-Founding Girls Got IT initiative that is about teaching STEM skills to young girls from all areas in Lebanon by engaging the startup companies and the Ecosystem, Founding the Arab Women in Computing Lebanon Chapter, an active member in the LLWB STEM Committee, recently Co-Founding USALTECH (a community for TechWomen and TechGirls inLebanon), in addition to organizing many hackathons and events in Lebanon. She is known as a public speaker for women in IT and STEM from Lebanon through many events: Microsoft Ignite in Orlando, Women in STEM in Dubai,TechGirls launching event in Washington DC, in addition to universities Tech Events in Lebanon, and being a judge in Hult Prize competition in many universities in Lebanon.
Lebanon
Hanane is the founder of EMaâlem, a platform designed to build the capacities of Moroccan artisans in marketing and product development. She works at local and global NGOs where she builds partnerships and conducts outreach to promote socio-economic and skill-building opportunities in the implementation of two EU and US funded projects. She also works at the Youth Center for Research and Development as Grant Advisor & Senior Project Coordinator as she pilotes the program ''ShePower'' that focuses on empowering women in media and the initiative ''SIAC'' to encourage active participation of citizens in public policy-making and advocacy. She is a PFP Alumni and passionate about youth empowerment, social entrepreneurship, branding, leadership and emotional intelligence. Recently appointed as Local Engagement Coordinator in Morocco for TechGirls program. She holds a Master of Marketing and Trade Action from The National School of Business and Management (ENCG).
Morocco
Nadiah Sabaneh plays a key role in realizing Tech-led economic development; with a solid education and technical background along with diverse leadership experiences, occupying high-level positions at well-respected organizations, Sabaneh excels at building and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems, cultivating innovation, managing change, developing businesses, and organizing national events and initiatives. Throughout her 14-year career, she held a variety of key positions at organizations in diverse sectors – from nonprofits like Relief International to academic institutions like Birzeit University, and governmental bodies like the Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence – honing her Tech, Innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystem management skills, in addition to her passion about Economic Development via women empowerment mainstreaming. Nadiah’s keen management skills, thirst for constant learning and networking, and ability to offer creative solutions around issues she is most passionate about have also been commended in her role at Rawabi, managing its Tech Hub, into which she has channeled this proven energy and expertise. Sabaneh holds a M.Sc. in Wireless Communication Engineering, and is currently doing her Kellogg’s EMBA. She is passionate about women enabling and empowerment mainstreaming in STEAM as she is an alumna of Techwomen Program, and currently is starting a One-Stop-Shop for women entrepreneurs in MENA.
Palestinian Territories
Nermine Nejima is a program manager at Impact Partner (Yunus Social Business Tunisia), a non-profit organization that supports impactful startups and SMEs, especially the ones having the potential to create sustainable jobs for women and youth. It has been three years since she joined the entrepreneurship universe, leading national and international projects, and working closely with distinguished entities including Samsung, Columbia University, the International Finance Corporations, and the U.S. Embassy Tunis. Through different initiatives and programs, she has contributed to the empowerment of 200+ talented entrepreneurs across Tunisia through different programs and initiatives. Nermine graduated from Tunis Business School, a top-ranked university in Tunisia, as top 6 of the Marketing Class 2021. She majored in Marketing with a minor in Business Analytics and also received the Dean’s list honors during her exchange year at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in New York, as a recipient of the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Scholarship.She developed a strong interest in Tech as she manages the main corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity of the Tech Geant, Samsung, in Tunisia. She engages and accompanies tech startup founders, among which 55% are women, supporting them to harness the power of technology for impact and to take their projects to the next level through a customized process of training, coaching, and linkage with partners and investors. In 2022, she had the opportunity to be a part of the first Tunisian delegation to the Select USA Tech summit, in Maryland, where she learned about the latest tech trends in the entrepreneurship world, and was invited by the US Embassy Tunis as a panelist to share her experience, as a female tech program manager, with 50 women entrepreneurs from the MENA region within the context of the US Department of State and Google-led “Women Tech Founders Program”.Nermine has always been inspired by the idea of the TechGirls program as it supports and gives an eye-opening opportunity to women at a very young age. That is why she is genuinely honored and keen to be part of such an empowering initiative where she can contribute to supporting teenage girls in their first steps toward a promising future.
Tunisia
Europe & Eurasia
Bruna Rizvanolli,in 2015 finished master studies in Computer Engineering. For eight years now she works in the Energy Sector in Albania as a Technical Expert in Transmission System Operator. She volunteers on teaching and mentoring youngsters in Albania how to code and build mobile apps. For 6 years together with her twin sister, has been mentoring young Albanian girls as part of the Technovation challenge taking place at American Corner Tirana. She has also mentored and support the Afghan Children welcomed by her country since the war started. This program was part of the Together for Inclusion program supported by the US Embassy Tirana and have been highlighted as the best program by the DOS. Recently started a career as Lecturer assistant in the Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Information Technology .
Albania
Simge is an Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry and an entrepreneur scientist. She is the Founder and Director of Science for Kids Cyprus, an initiative with an endeavour of inspiring the younger generation to develop an enthusiasm towards STEM subjects, as well as making science activity available and accessible for all.She holds a PhD from the University of Bath. Her post-doctoral research was in mechanochemistry, as a visiting researcher at the Università degli Studi di Cagliari. Her recent research extends beyond organic chemistry, spanning over several “science with and for society” themed projects including the implementation of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles across education institutions and the alignment of STEM education with sustainable development goals. She is an IVLP Graduate of the Advancing Women in STEM Program from the U.S. Simge coordinated several ‘Science for Peace’ themed projects in Cyprus including a ‘UNESCO-Science Diplomacy’ project, ‘Science for Kids in the Rural’ and ‘STEAM for Peace and Entrepreneurship’ projects. She has reached over 3000 students in Cyprus, since 2020, via the informal science education programs and workshops organised by Science for Kids.Simge was selected by the U.S. Embassy for “20 Global Women STEM Leaders” list in 2019. She enjoys and continues teaching chemistry at all levels including postgraduate, undergraduate and secondary education.
Cyprus
I am the co-founder of Women On Top, a non-profit organisation in Greece for the professional development of women and for gender equality in the public sphere. Within just 8 years, Women on Top has managed to become the most experienced organization in Greece regarding women’s professional empowerment and, in 2020, it became the first non profit organization participating in the National Council for Gender Equality, while also taking part in key policy consultations with major stakeholders from state institutions and industry leaders. With a small team of just 3 people, WoT has managed to build and sustain a team of 450 volunteer mentors who completed 830 mentorship programs. It has provided training and learning opportunities to more than 1,200 women, to advance their skills and build confidence to pursue professional opportunities. It has also established strong and lasting relationships with more than 45 organizations, institutions, associations and companies and it remains rooted and relevant through ongoing research and development. I am also a published author, a translator, a book club enthusiast and the facilitator of impactful workshops on professional development, gender issues and social change. I previously studied French Literature in Athens, Greece, and Media Studies in London, and have worked for 10+ years as a women’s magazine and online editor. I am the recipient of the Social Impact UK Alumni Award and an IVLP Female Entrepreneurship alumna and I have published eight books for the empowerment of girls, women and teens. I live in Athens with my husband and two daughters.
Greece
Flaka works as Alumni Coordinator at American Councils for International Education Kosova where she manages and organized various activates for alumni to participate. She is currently a student majoring in Applied Economics and Management at the University of Prishtina. Flaka has been an elite student for two years in a row at her University and has been awarded with a certificate of gratitude from the Dean. Prior to working at American Councils, she worked as a Data Analyst at UBO Consulting. In her free time Flaka enjoys going for walks, watching the sunset, and swimming.
Kosovo
I am a coordinator of American Corner Podgorica, Montenegro, joined in January 2009. I graduated from Faculty of Political Science, University of Montenegro and received my master’s degree in international relations. Working at the AmericanCorner opened the opportunities to attend international trainings and conferences where I gained knowledge and expand skills in the area of library management, American education, program management and development, media literacy as well as technology and social media. The most favorite aspect of my job is working with youth, creating learning opportunities for them, helping them identify their goals, strengths and needs, develop their talents and skillsand seeing the impact and change programs have on the community. I was part of many STEM programs, aimed to introduce new tech gadgets, resources and present STEM to students as important, teachable and fun.Ialways search for new inspiration and new collaborators for programs to benefit the community.
Montenegro
I am Dr. Sergün Kaya, the Local Engagement Coordinator of Turkey. I'm happy to be a part of this project and meet you all.I got my PhD degree from Department of Education, I am also Science/Biology teacher. So I wish to gain great experiences and make valuable contributions to the project.
Turkey
Sub-Saharan Africa
2020 winner of the global competition on quality education organized by ONE YOUNG WORLD and Deloitte, Arielle Kitio Tsamo received the Margaret Prize for African Digital Woman in 2019. The same year, the Cameroonian government presented him with the National Award of Excellence for Youth which rewards the best young technology entrepreneur. In 2016, the State Department of the United States awarded her the TechWomen Award. Listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Ranking, the Former Ambassador of the Next Einstein Forum in Cameroon has to her credit: already nearly 29 000 children supported and trained in creativity, technological innovation, coding, robotics, artificial intelligence, and the use of ICT for lifelong learning. primary. The educational tools developed by his organization (like abccode) have been certified by the Union Africa in its Handbook Education 2018 and by UNESCO in ICT. Since 2020, she coordinates the CONNECT MY SCHOOL initiative of UNICEF Cameroon. She is the initiator of Techwomen Factory, a professional training program for women in key areas including data science, web / mobile application development, digital art accompanied by a common core (financial education, entrepreneurship, soft skills).
Cameroon
Helen Mburu, a Techwomen fellow2018,is the founder of My Energy Solutions; an organisationin the business ofproviding renewable energy solutions and consultancy services to rural and peri-urban households, children’s homes and schools. Ms Mburuholds an MBA in Global Business Sustainability from the Catholic University of Milan. She is also atrainer of Empowered Entrepreneurship; a curriculum that incorporates cognitive behavioural psychology into entrepreneurial trainings for lasting change.Helen is passionate about empowering the next generation of upcoming leaders and is looking forward to learning, growing and laughing with the amazing Techgirl cohort.
Kenya
Carolyn Seaman is a tech evangelist and the founder of Girls Voices Initiative, a non-profit that educates and empowers girls and women to identify their voices and use it to advocate for their rights and uses technology and digital media to amplify their voices to wide audiences, particularly policy makers and other key stakeholders. Her non-profit provides digital literacy and empowerment skills to girls and women and facilitates their creation of technology applications and resources to strengthen their advocacy and advance their interests in society. Carolyn is a TechWomen Fellow, Women Leader of the World Fellow, a World Pulse Ambassador and an Advanced Digital Changemaker innovating creative programmes that empower girls and women in Nigeria. She is a firm believer of the quote that, ‘Girls are truly a force for change on the planet’ and she believes that ‘technology and digital media help the voices of girls and women reach multitudes for change, when their strength to shout is frail’.
Nigeria
Jennifer Batamuliza is the Head of Software Engineering Department and IT lecturer in the Information Technology Faculty at Adventist university of Central Africa (AUCA). She is also a teaching assistant at the African Center of Excellence Data Science at the University of Rwanda, where she teaches a machine learning and computational statistics course, and the principles of data science and big data analytics at the Masters level. She is the Vice President of the Rwandan Association for Women in Science and Engineering (RAWISE), and the founder & CEO RWA TECH HUB – a social enterprise that mentors and trains highschool girls in technology. She is a PhD candidate Data science-Data Mining (IT). Graduated with a Master’s degree in Engineering in ComputerScience and Technology from the University Of Electronics Science and Technology of China(UESTC) and also has aBachelor’sdegree in Computer Engineering from University ofRwanda-College of Science and Technology former KIST. She is a researcher and she has published many papers related to Technology in highly ranked journals such as IEEETransactions on services computing and Information Security Journal: A global Perspective and she is a reviewerforIEEE Transactions on Services computing.She attended the Young African Leaders Initiative(YALI) program as 2019 MandelaWashington Fellow and did Leadership in Public Management at Arizona State University(ASU) in Arizona State, United States of America. Jennifer won the Science Leadership award for promoting girls and women in Technology. The Award was awarded to her on International Day for Women and girls inScience.
Rwanda
Refilwe is a social entrepreneur, Part – time lecture , an advocate of girl’s education in STEM education. She is a qualified Helicopter Pilot, fixed-wing Pilot, Drone Pilot, and Flight Instructor. Refilwe is passionate about youth development in Africa, particularly the empowerment of girls. She is the founder of Girls fly programme Africa (GFPA. Refilwe is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, council member of the Aeronautical Society of South Africa (AeSSA) outreach team, and a recipient of the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship (AEMSF) for flight training. Her work through the foundation has led to Refilwe being recognized by BBC as one of the innovators in Africa , CNN Africa as one of the changemakers in Africa. Refilwe is also a Techwomen fellow , Obama Africa leader fellow , and a Bill and Melinda gates foundation goalkeeper, She is passionate about education having obtained a BSc (Biochemistry and Microbiology) at UCT; a postgraduate qualification in Business Administration, UCT Business Schools; and an MBA from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of business science. She will be pursuing a Ph.D. in developmental studies. She currently serves on a few organizations as a board member both locally and internationally.
South Africa
Western Hemisphere
I am an English teacher, with a postgraduate degree in Educational Management. As I have experience in project management, since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been working at the Ministry of Health in several projects and as a cousel for the Chief of Staff. Today, I am the Assistant Manager of Planning of the Ministry, and I live in Buenos Aires city. I participate actively in the Embassy's events, as I am an Alumni of the Youth Ambassadors Program. I have also participared in other exchange programs as for example the British Council's Language Assistant program in UK.
Argentina
Valeria is a Computer Scientist graduated from Universidad de Buenos Aires. Gamer since she was a little child, she has been working as a videogame developer for the last 14 years. She is a co-founder and board member of Women in Games Argentina. During her career she has worked with Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, web, desktop and mobile games. Today she is Head of Engineering at Etermax.
Argentina
Systems Engineer and Specialist in Information and Communication Technologies (TICs). CEO and Co-founder of Eressea Solutions, a company specialized in design and developing web and business solutions for companies. With a lot of experience in software deployment, creating business solutions and mentoring tech startups. I am also the Executive Director of Emprender Futuro Foundation, through Bolivia Emprende we provide business tools to build successful companies and tech startups through education, innovation, soft skills, technological skills and promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. I have created "The 360 Women and Tech" Program, the main objective is to teach technological skills and encourage girls to get interested in STEM and into the tech industry. As a social entrepreneur, I am an Ashoka Fellow, I am part of this Global Network of Social Entrepreneurs, and member of several international networks of entrepreneurs and change makers. I work hard on making a huge social and economic impact, I strongly believe that we must be the change we seek in the world.
Bolivia
12 years of project management experience, leading cross-teams projects for LATAM and US, working five years in a US tech company, BPI green belt certified. Founder and Director of Instituto Joule (institutojoule.org), a NGO that empowers Youth toward impactful careers with mentorships. Ambassador of the program Girls Voice´s of Greatergood Charities. 2018 Fellow of the Young Leader Initiative (Program of the US Department of state). Board member of 1+Code, a programming startup which empowers unrepresented young people through technology.
Brazil
When I was young I was always passionate about science, so I studied in a scientific school in Costa Rica. This course gave me the opportunity to do my university studies in chemical engineering. At the moment, I work in the last branch of the science school in a rural area. My passion in recent years has been to motivate and mentor girls in STEM competitions at a national level. Additionally, I teach chemistry, physics, and their laboratories. In these science disciplines, I am in charge of preparing our students for the national science olympiads. I am proud to say that after a lot of hard work, we have been able to get the youth of our small area passionate about science and this year has been reflected
Costa Rica
Cardona is an educator of 30 years, and the founder and principal of Sunshine School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She holds a Bachelors in Education from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras, and is a Fulbright Scholar MEd. in Education from the University of Florida. Sheis the co-founder of Amigas STEAM HN, the founder/creator of Spart STEAM in a Box, the Director of Educational Serices “Museo Chiminike” in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and a 2021 cohort member of the “Inter-American Collaboratory on The Teaching Profession” portion of the “Organization of American States”.
Honduras
I am an environmental specialist with 20 years of experience in environmental, health, and safety management (EHS) systems. I worked with various governmental organizations and environmental NGOs to execute projects considering Suriname's biodiversity, forestry management, and mangrove ecosystem services related to climate change. I started in 2020 with the Ph.D. in Management program at Walden University, Minneapolis, focusing on sustainability performance as my research topic. I became a Golden Key International Honour Society member in April 2022.Furthermore, I joined the foundation of Women in Sustainable Energy Suriname as a board member aiming to connect, guide, and support women in sustainable development and energy. I am nowadays the Quality Manager of the NV VSH Transport, responsible for implementing an integrated management system and sustainability for terminal operations considering the ISO standards. I volunteered in several Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics – IT (STEAM-IT) team projects. My task was managing the execution of these activities in three primary schools in the interior of Suriname in collaboration with the US Embassy in Suriname, Suriname American Alumni Association, and the Young Help Suriname Robotics Team.
Suriname
East Asia & The Pacific
Anju is the Regional Head of Asia-Pacific - Alliance for Affordable Internet, World Wide Web Foundation. Anju was affiliated with the Pacific Community (SPC) as the Digital Transformation ECM Specialist and Business Analyst Adviser. Anju was awarded the Obama Foundation leadership fellowship and the U.S State of Department International Visitor’s Leadership Programme on Digital Economy and Cybersecurity. She is currently the Chair of the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Forum and an Advisory Member of the Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society. Anju was a tutor for DiploFoundation’s ICT Strategy Course and a research expert in Internet Governance. She was an Internet Society Ambassador, Commonwealth IGF fellow and APrIGF fellow. She was the first Pacific Islander to be elected as a Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) member of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum. She has also worked for the the UN Internet Governance Forum-Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Anju is passionate about Women and ICT and Cybersafety for women, girls and persons with disabilities. She was a founding member of the Pacific Women and ICT. She continues to work with key stakeholders in the Asia Pacific region on various areas such as digital rights, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, privacy, security etc. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Governance and a Bachelor of Science degree in Information systems and Geographical information systems and is certified in Internet Governance Capacity building programme, knowledge management and Business Analysis.
Fiji
Febri is a highly motivated digital technology enthusiast who is interested in community development. Her experience in the US as a YES student (exchange student) inspired her to pursue a career in technology. She is currently working as a data engineer at SLB developing workflow on how to manage, utilize, and maximize the potential of data in the energy industry.Febri has been an active volunteer for Bina Antarbudaya in which she was selected as the participant of training of trainers in Egypt 2018. In her leisure time, she likes checking out new restaurants, solving 1000 piece puzzles and recently growing her fondness for cultivating green plants.
Indonesia
Jargal recently returned to Mongolia after graduating from Michigan Technological University (MTU) with a Master's degree in Computer Science. Jargal has also worked as a consultant in the information technology industry for multinational customers and corporations for the past five years. She has a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology under her belt. She gained an appreciation for international education as a result of her study, volunteer, and job experiences overseas. She wants to encourage more girls to pursue STEM careers, share her experiences with them, and inspire and assist young people. She likes nature, outdoor activities, and swimming in her spare time, and she is an alumni cheerleader at MTU.
Mongolia
Min-Chun Hu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. She received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in computer science and information engineering from National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C., in 2004 and 2006, respectively. In 2011, she received the Ph.D. degree in the Graduate Institute of Networking and Multimedia, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. She was a postdoctoral research fellow of Research Center for Information Technology Innovation, Academia Sinica, from 2011 to 2012. From 2012 to 2017, she was an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, and she was promoted as an associate professor in 2018. She was awarded the Exploration Research Award from Pan Wen Yuan Foundation, the Outstanding Youth Award from the Computer Society of the Republic Of China (CSROC), and the Best Young Professional Member Award of IEEE Tainan Section in 2015, 2017, and 2018, respectively. Her research interests include digital signal processing, multimedia content analysis, machine learning, computer vision, computer graphics, virtual reality and augmented reality.
Taiwan
Thu Nguyen graduated from Foreign Trade University, major in International Business Management. She has several years of experience in Communications & Project Management for multinational companies (Everest Education, Abbott Laboratories, etc.). She has engaged with leadership development programs for Vietnamese youth and run many projects on STEM education such as Young Makers Challenge, Make Science Make Sense, DATAcracy Program. In 2017, Thu was selected to become YSEALI Academic Fellow at Arizona State University, where she spent time studying about Civic Engagement in the United States.
